In today’s society, a place of sanctuary has become ever more important and when life becomes uncertain, human instinct is to retreat to the natural world. In my atmospheric oil paintings, I explore the wild places where one can reconnect with the Earth and find healing, meaning and significance.
After a lifetime of living in a landlocked part of England, trips to the coast have always held a special significance. In childhood, it was the excitement and adventure that enthralled me but now I find that visits to the sea transport me to a place of calm that offers escape and solitude. Being by the sea, with the taste of salt in the air and the expansiveness in front of me is where I find a sense of water-associated peace and it’s this intangibility that I aim to capture in my paintings.
My work begins as an exploration of the horizon and the interplay between sea and sky. This emerges from many layers of oil paint which give my paintings substance and texture. By focusing on the energy of a place rather than an actual representation I aim to suggest a sense of solitude and contemplation. I’m not a painter whose work is predominantly about recording every nuance and fine detail of the natural world, it is more about capturing the atmosphere and a sense of place. I don’t usually inform the viewer of the location that inspires a painting. Instead, I prefer them to make their own interpretation and offer them a chance to pause and reflect on the memories and emotions that may be evoked.
